The Ethereal Covenant
by YokaiKittens
Summary: "I plan on ravishing you, mistress. Breaking you apart until there is nothing left of your pureness. Feeding my hunger until I am appeased. That is, what demons are meant to do, but we all do not do it in the same ways." Elizabeth makes a contract with Claude Faustus, a demon slowly losing the ability to control his hunger for her. *Rating may change...*
1. Chapter 1: Battle for a Soul

_**I gotta tell you some stuffs you'll need to know before we can continue. :3  
**_

_**1. Claude is Elizabeth's butler. If they ever fall in love...well, that's mainly up to you to decide. :D  
**_

**_2. There are both elements from the books, and from the show. You may call it, say, a combination of sorts. _**

**_3. Alois will come in at some point, and he plays a big part in the storyline, so please don't think that just because Claude is not his butler, does not mean they may not have some connection in this story. Because, I can assure you, you will find him._**

**_4. Elizabeth has gone through quite a bit of a history in this story. Do not be surprised if she is slightly out of character. She will still be the happy girl she is in the show/book, but with this past (that you currently do not know about) she has gone through more than you can imagine, yet somehow she still manages to smile, which I would imagine she would be able to since she was born a happy child._**

**_5. I do not own anything, I regret to say. Sadly, these characters are all figment of someone else's wonderful imagination. _**

**_6. This is done for a little competition by me and my fellow internet companions. It's nothing serious, and not an open competition. We just wanted to see how we could do making a more "backgroundish" character the main one. And so I decided on Black Butler, and to make Elizabeth the main one, since she is in both the book and the show. Grell is pretty important so there was a big "X" by his name. And Elizabeth is quite a big part with the comedy and lightheartedness of the show._**

**_And so, without further ado, I present to you..._**

**_The Ethereal Covenant_**

_Elizabeth Midford had only wanted her family back. _

_Perhaps that was the reason she desired the contract. She needed revenge against the ones who had caused her so much pain. The sorrow. So much sorrow..._

_Or perhaps she was simply lonely. She was left all alone after the escape. No one escaped from where she did. It was simply impossible. But she did. She escaped and there was no one else who could. _

_But could loneliness and revenge lead her to sell her mind, body, and soul to the likes of a demon?_

Claude Faustus quietly slipped through the large double doors leading to his mistress' bedroom. He caught sight of her strewn lazily across the bed, the blankets tangled around her petite waist and ankles, her arms above her blonde head.

Somehow, no matter how tight he tucked her in, she would end up this way. Claude sighed and walked across the room and threw back the velvet curtains, revealing the sun that rose from the east. The sky was painted a beautiful morning velvet.

Elizabeth groaned in her sleep, her eyes squinting open and, meeting the harsh rays of the sun, flipped to her other side.

They honestly didn't have time for her shenanigans this morning. It was a lot busier than usual. "Time to get up, Elizabeth."

She groaned childishly once more before sitting up. As per usual, the top of the shirt she had slept in had come unbuttoned in all her twisting and turning. A long purple scar above her breast was revealed, but as she sat up straighter, it disappeared under the pure white cloth of her night gown.

She yawned once more before swinging her legs off the bed. She was usually a bit embarrassed as Claude would slip her clothes off, but this morning she was particularly tired—too tired to care if he saw her scars, or her body, which she usually hated him—or anyone— looking at.

Elizabeth simply complied with his fluid movements. He let him strip her, let him tie the corset as tightly as he could (she was quite used to it by now) and let him gently comb the tangles from her curly blonde head, including that pesky cowlick she had every morning. When it was done and over, he took her down to the dining hall for tea and breakfast, which was a wide array of English treats. And of course, he brought her a small sweet to go with it.

The day went downhill from there. They had a visit from a very broad looking man, asking if she might want to join companies with Funtom toy company. He explained how it could gain them even more fortunes then they already had.

Elizabeth rather liked that company. They came up with the most adorable little trinkets that children cherished for years. She had a few of her own. (She had a rather addictive fondness for cute things.) But that did not mean she could simply join forces with them. Business was not to be taken lightly, as she had learned the hard way. But she remembered he father, only faintly, always sitting behind his wide, monstrous desk, writing letters and counting checks. Of course, his desk had only seemed so massive and monstrous to a child, but is was now the desk that Elizabeth used. As it had been her father's prison, it was now hers.

She could not remember his face though. It'd been too long.

"I might consider, but I request an audience with the owner of Funtom. To verify."

The man seemed agitated at this, but nodded briskly and left in a flourish. She didn't like him very much. He did not seem trustworthy enough to do business with.

"Claude, prepare the mansion. I have a feeling we will have company soon."

A few days later, their expected company arrived.

There was a knock on the manor door and Claude was the first to respond. The other servants, as curious as always, peered to take a look at their guest.

Claude opened the door with a demented smile. "Yes? May I help you?"

On the porch, under the awning to be shielded from the rain, stood a strange couple. The first, on the right, was a man nearly the same age and height as Claude. He had slightly damp black hair, longer than Claude's, and wore a finely tailored tailcoat with the chain of a pocket watch in his jacket pocket. The looks of a butler. The other was naught but a small boy. He was a very beautiful young boy, too. Maybe the first thing that was noticed was his big, blue eye. Not eyes, but _eye. _The other was covered by an eye patch. It was a bit of a shame.

The boy wore clothes of high standard over his small, lanky body and the man held an umbrella above his small head.

The large man answered, "This is Lord Ciel Phantomhive, owner of the esteemed Funtom toy emporium."

"And this is my Butler...Sebastian," the Earl Phantomhive added as he stepped inside. The two were rushed with warm air, and Ciel invisibly sighed in relief.

"Yes, the Mistress is very pleased you came to visit. I'm sure she would delight in doing business with you."

Ciel grimaced, Claude noticed. There was something going on and he could tell.

"Please, have a seat while I retrieve the mistress."

Ciel sat down as Claude pulled out a chair at the end of a long wood table clothed in white. Sebastian stood faithfully beside him.

Claude retreated up the stairs to retrieve Lady Elizabeth. She was sitting in front of her dresser mirror, huffing. Approaching her, he saw that she was slipping on her choker, her favorite one with a wooden red rose at the base. The choker covered her light purple mark that symbolized her strong connection to Claude. After she got it on, she began to struggle clasping a Pearl necklace on her neck.

Smirking, he reached over her, grasping the chains from her hands and doing it himself.

She smiled. "Thank you."

He only sighed. "How many times have I told you not to say that? I am your butler. It is simply my job."

Elizabeth seemed a bit hurt, but smiled gently. "I'm sorry. I'm...just not used to this yet."

"It's been almost a year now. You should be getting quite used to it by now."

She nodded in reply. He escorted her down the stairs and toward the dining room. She was met with a welcoming smile from a young boy, maybe the same age as Elizabeth. She was shocked from his deep blue eyes. Never before had she seen such a color. And beside the young boy was his butler.

Elizabeth smiled warmly. "Hello, Earl Phantomhive."

He smiled devilishly, leaning his head on his fist. His blue-black hair fell over his porcelain cheeks. "Please, Lady Elizabeth. A young woman of such high standard should address me as Ciel."

"Ciel." She tested the name on her tongue, and rather enjoyed how easily it rolled from her lips. "If we go by these terms, I would like you to call me simply Elizabeth."

Elizabeth sat down in the chair that Claude had pulled out for her. He retreated to the kitchen to retrieve the meal the chef, Ambrose, had prepared for the evening.

"It must've been horrible getting here in that storm," Elizabeth set the conversation in her innocent sort of voice.

"Trust me, _Elizabeth." _Was it just her, or did it sound like he spat out her name like bile on his tongue? "It was no problem with Sebastian here."

Sebastian smiled gently.

Claude walked in with many silver trays balanced in his hands. He set the first one in front of Ciel. "For tonight's dinner," he began, "mackerel with berry sauce, cottage pie with chicken, with a side of scalded greens."

Ciel, ceasing to be impressed, began to pick at it.

Claude sat the other tray in front of Elizabeth.

"Maybe we should get right to it," Ciel suggested.

Removing her eyes from the meal, Elizabeth gave him a skeptical look. "Yes. Perhaps we should."

"I guess that I should tell you that the last thing I want to do is business with you."

Elizabeth grimaced, eyebrows arched.

"Actually, I believe you've taken something quite valuable from me."

Elizabeth gaped. She was not about to be accused of theft. She could be called many things—a perfectionist, an overachiever—but she was not about to be called a thief.

She opened her mouth to speak, enraged, but Ciel began before her.

"Lady Elizabeth Midford..."

She braced herself as he stood from his chair. This dinner was quickly turning awry.

"I've come to retrieve my soul."

And at that moment, his butler—Sebastian, did Ciel call him?—lunged at her. He had three kitchen knives in the creases of his fingers.

And then, Elizabeth felt a hand—soft and gentle—grasp her arm and pull her slightly to the side. Sebastian missed her by a hair.

She turned to see Claude as he pulled her from her seat and into his arms with the speed of a bird taking flight. He held her bridal style as she clung to his jacket, still slightly confused at the situation.

He set her down as Sebastian regained composure. Ciel smiled devilishly and moved out from behind the table so he could be seen fully.

Sebastian went to stand beside his master as Ciel spoke, "Oh Lizzy, I'm disappointed you don't remember me. After all, we used to be so very close..."

"W-what...?"

Claude set her down on the ground, and she reluctantly released her hold on his jacket. "Milady, what are my orders?"

Elizabeth tore her eyes from the blue-eyed boy and looked at Claude, who was kneeled down beside her. She swallowed, trying not to look afraid and succeeding. The only feelings her face portrayed were confusion.

"I order you to protect me."

Claude simply smirked. "Yes, Mistress."

Ciel continued, "How can you not remember your own cousin? Let alone your fiancé..."

"Fiancé?!" Elizabeth gaped, her small pale hands balling into fists. Her blood began to boil. Wouldn't she remember if she had a fiancé? "I don't know what you're-"

Suddenly, a sharp knife stabbed into her temples. She gasped, falling to her knees, clutching her head for mercy. She did not receive any.

Elizabeth couldn't hear anything. All she heard was a sharp ringing in her eyes. She could've sworn her ears began to bleed. She felt her mouth open, but she wasn't sure if she was screaming or not. And then the visions began.

A boy with big, round blue eyes. Eyes the color of pureness. He stared intensely at her. Studying her. He seemed to do that a lot. Study. Whether it was a person, or a time in history, he was always studying something. Even though he clearly hated academics, and she knew that more than anything.

And then he smiled.

What a wonderful smile it was. So bright and luminous and quite contagious. Yes, very contagious. So contagious, in fact, the Elizabeth began to smile, too. She grew to love that smile, even though it was quite rare and you could only see it every once in a blood red moon. She cherished the moments his smiling disease could spread.

She remembered him. She showed him her favorite doll—her name was Lucy. She told him about her favorite candies and sweets—the ones his daddy's factory made. And whenever she came to visit he would sneak some from his daddy's desk and they'd hide in his bedroom and eat it, giggling hysterically.

She loved the boy with the pure blue eyes.

But then he was gone.

For some reason, on the appointed day when she was set to see him, they never went. Her mother did not snap up her coat and pull her dress over her bosom. She did not usher her into the carriage and tell the driver to snap the whip. They simply did not go.

And Elizabeth asked why.

"Mummy, when will we go see Ciel?"

Her mother looked down at her from under her flaxen hair. She smiled a sad, despairing smile. "I'm afraid we cannot see them." And then she went back to her work and practices. Or made a call for a tutor to teach Lizzy the piano or violin. She didn't like the violin. She liked the piano. With its many keys, it made many wonderful, beautiful sounds.

And then it all ended.

Her father disappeared. Her mother went mad. Elizabeth was taken away...

But, Elizabeth already remembered all that.

And now the boy with the blue eyes was back. Ciel Phantomhive, the one she had forgotten in her despair. It had seemed all her happy memories had been crushed and blown away in the debris, him along with it.

Elizabeth opened her eyes. She thought it had been hours since she had collapsed into her own mind, but in truth, it had only been a few seconds. Her emerald eyes met those of the monster she was contracted with.

"Mistress, have you fallen ill?"

"No. I'm fine, Claude." Her head spun as she stood on her feet from where she had been putting all her weight on her butler. Another sharp pain jabbed at her, being she only cringed, holding the area on her scalp. She would not let more memories fled her bleeding pain. She knew she could not take it.

"Ciel Phantomhive. Earl of the Phantomhives. Your parents died in a fire at the original Phantomhive estate. You...you were my childhood friend. Where have you been...?" Elizabeth glared. "What happened to you?"

"You happened."

It was clear now that his butler, Sebastian, was not human. It became even clearer as he came for her, sprinting across the table like the Mad Hatter at a deranged tea party.

Claude, in one swift movement, scooped her up and leapt away from the pursuing demon. Claude set her down once again and looked expectantly toward her.

"This is an order," she whispered. "Defeat the butler."

"As you wish..."

Ciel approached an armor statue and took from its sheath a sword.

Elizabeth was pretty handy with a sword, but was a bit nervous about using real swords. Nonetheless, she took a sword from the Knight behind her and prepared herself.

"Tell me, Ciel, are going to do this in a civilized manner, or are we to be blunt?"

Ciel smirked. "I think it'll be nice to leap out of our comfort zone."

And then he came at her. He wasn't just lunging, he began to slash. About to yell about the illegal uses of the weapon, she realized she wasn't in a regular match. She wasn't in a match at all. She was in a brawl. An uncivilized brawl against the blue orbed boy.

She couldn't dodge any longer and so developed her own technique that kept her in the safe zone against his slashes. Their swords clashed and sparks—real sparks—flew from their harsh edges.

And then her sword, liquid and translucent, seemed to wrap around his. As soon as she had it wrapped around him, she ripped it from his pale hands...the hands she remembered so fondly. _Ripping the noisy wrapper from his father's candies…_

Ciel fell onto his back, hurriedly beginning to scramble away, until she pointed the sword to his neck. He froze, staring intently, his face in a permanent frown.

"Stop!" Elizabeth shouted. She heard the sounds of brute strength clashing begin to fade. Claude turned toward her, ready to follow her next order, not in the least surprised to see her opponent on the ground before her.

Sebastian stepped forward, but Elizabeth turned her piercing emerald eyes toward him. "Don't move, or the sword goes through his heart."

Sebastian froze.

"Now, Ciel, I want you to take your butler and leave this mansion at once. If I receive another unwanted visit from you, I will not hesitate to have you killed."

One of Elizabeth's remarkable talents was her eyes. She was always smiling, and when she smiled, her eyes smiled with her. But when she didn't smile, her eyes spoke all her emotions for her, and the best emotions her eyes spoke were anger and frustration. Bitter loathing and regret.

Ciel nearly flinched as her eyes met his. He remembered her clearly and never before had he seen her as such. He swallowed the large lump in his throat and met her with a glare.

"Oh, Lizzy. It's all just a game. I know you. I know how you are and I can assure you that I do not intend to play fair." Ciel gave her a one-sided smile. "Sebastian, take me home."

"Yes, young master."

Sebastian bowed, a hand over his heart, and then leaped to where Ciel lay on the ground. He waited until Elizabeth dropped the sword, and then Sebastian lifted him to his feet and the boy turned to look at her.

"Ciel..." The glare in her eyes dispersed and she stared at him, the boy she remembered so well. She reached and gently grazed his face with her fingers...and let her hand fall. This wasn't the boy she knew and she couldn't treat him like it. He had changed. He had disappeared, Elizabeth had forgotten him, and then he returned, _changed._

People tend to change pretty often.


	2. Chapter 2: I Plan to Ravish you

Elizabeth lunged for her tall opponent, who quickly leapt to the side. Their swords clashed violently before the tip of her sword met his tailcoat.

Claude smiled at his mistress. "Very nice, Mistress."

Claude went to take her sword from her hand but she turned a glare on him, her grip tightening around the shaft. Her emeralds shimmered as they sharpened threateningly. His eyebrows flexed questioningly.

"You're letting me win."

"I can assure you, my lady, I am not."

"Stop lying."

Claude smiled devilishly, leaning down to let his golden eyes meet hers. He put his index finger over his plump lips, as if issuing her a secret. He whispered delicately, teasingly, "My contract prohibits me from lying."

Elizabeth, her cheeks becoming warm, jerked around, arms crossed over her chest, huffing. "I know you are letting me win."

Claude bowed down, hand held solemnly over his heart. "I am simply fighting with human strength."

Elizabeth turned and looked over him. She thought carefully before she said, "Fight with your normal strength. Your demon strength."

Claude's eyes widened, though his lips still held a straight line. "But, Mistress, I could hurt—"

"I don't care."

"As your Butler, it is my job to protect you. How would that work if I am the one hurting you?"

"We will have a safe word. As soon as this word is spoken, the fight stops. Understood?"

"Y-yes, my lady." Still on one knee, he bowed his head. "What is our safe word?"

"Hmm..." Elizabeth hummed thoughtfully. "Dragonfly."

Claude nodded simply, and then backed up a few paces. They began the match the traditional way, followed by Claude shouting, "On guard? Ready? Fence!"

Elizabeth was engaged in a fight like never before. Their swords clashed frighteningly. She could hardly see his sword as it lunged so quietly and so steadily. She was not an opponent to be taken lightly though. Elizabeth was born and raised to protect the Queen against surrounding countries. Her family was raised to. Of course fencing would run through her veins.

But it seemed she was no match for a demon.

Elizabeth threw herself back to avoid being caught in the radius of his sword and tripped over her own befuddled feet and hit the ground. She quickly stood up, got back in her fencing stance, glanced around for her opponent, but he wasn't there.

Elizabeth hurriedly twisted and turned, but her Butler was nowhere in sight.

And then she heard him whisper sweetly in her ear, "Tag."

You're it.

Elizabeth quickly jerked around and began to lunge furiously, not caring where she aimed anymore. She could care less. For now, she would have to go in hope that she could win against a golden-eyed demon.

He dodged every move she made. And then he disappeared again.

And then his sword stabbed into her back. She felt her back begin to go numb and she began to fall.

His hand caught the back of her head before it hit the ground. He was leaned over her, panting. She could feel his sweet breath wash over her cheeks. She didn't mind the closeness, because she was still reminiscing the fight just seconds ago. Elizabeth was panting, just as he. She didn't feel pain, just numbness taking over her limbs.

But Claude...why did he look so fatigued? He was a demon, and she was but a human girl.

"D-Dragonfly," she stammered breathlessly.

He smiled gently at the irony, but then it disappeared within his heavy pants. "Mistress, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you had the Right Hand of God."

She barely managed to smile. It felt good to be complimented by Claude, a powerful demon. Her demon.

For now.

Elizabeth swallowed a large lump in her throat, shaking the thought away. She tried to sit up, but remembered her back was put out. Claude seemed to notice and sat up from his position over her.

And as he stood, he brought Elizabeth up with him, taking her in his arms. "The feeling should return to you momentarily. I shall take you to your bedroom to rest up."

"That sounds nice," she murmured against his coat. She didn't really have a choice. Her neck was going numb.

Claude carried her to her bedroom and took off some of her over clothes so she could rest comfortably. Then he put her under the covers and she wanted to snuggle deep within its sheets, but she couldn't.

Before he left her side, Elizabeth murmured, "Claude?"

"Yes, Mistress?"

"I would like to visit mummy when I awake."

"Yes, my lady."

"Mistress, I'm afraid you have slept a little longer than I thought you would." The curtains were already open from this morning, showing the sun was on the brink of leaving this day to go to the night. Elizabeth immediately sat up, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

She sat up, ready to let Claude dress her and comb her. She yawned, and as she moved to sat up, a sharp pain stung her backside. Elizabeth hissed, crouching forward. Claude caught her and rubbed her back. She cried out as his hands swept over the wound.

"I offer my sincerest apologies, my lady. This is my fault."

She took her chin off his shoulder to look him in the eye. "No, Claude, its mine," she replied with a wince. She tried to look over shoulder at her wound, but only hurt herself in the process.

"Do not move to rashly, Lady Elizabeth. I may know something that will help."

So Elizabeth stayed still as Claude hurried out of the room. The wound on her back pulsed unbearably. She bit her lip hard, trying to keep from crying as she waited for him to return.

I should've known better than to challenge him. I'm an idiot. Why did I think I could beat him?

Elizabeth knew her pride was at fault, but did not regret fighting him. He complimented her. She was good. Maybe even great. She couldn't be defeated by any enemy. Well, any human enemy.

Claude rushed back into the room, a metal pail in his hand. He set it on the ground beside the bed and then helped Elizabeth lay on her stomach. He unbuttoned her nightdress and her back was exposed. He cringed, but only slightly at seeing the large bruise.

She turned her head toward him, laying her cheek in the mound of sheets as Claude used his teeth to remove his white elegant glove, then took off the other with his pale, bare hand. His fingers were long and elegant, his nails nightest black.

Claude rolled his sleeves to his elbows, dipped his hand in the pail and the tip off his fingers came back green. It was a dark forest green that dripped down his hand slowly.

"What is that...?" Elizabeth asked.

Claude replied, "It is a seaweed salve. It should help with the pain."

She winced as he rubbed it on her wound. Though she couldn't see it, she imagined it looked like a large, blackened bruise at the left base of her back.

"Where did you get it?"

Claude smiled at her interest. "An Indian herbalist was selling it at market. In fact, most of her remedies were quite resourceful." The salve made her skin cool and she felt the injured nerves begin to heal. She sighed in delight, shivering. Claude asked, "Would you like me to get more?"

"Yes."

Claude continued rubbing it in until it completely masked the wound and he asked her how it felt, though he already knew the answer. She didn't reply. He slapped the wound, either to test it, or to get a reaction. He got both.

"Hey!" She cried irritably, sitting up. Her shirt began to slip down her back, but she held it against her breast.

"Just checking," he replied with a demeaning smirk. "It feels better, does it not?"

"Yeah," she mumbled softly.

"Then it has completed its purpose, mistress. Though, for extra measure, I suggest we leave it on for the rest of the night."

She nodded and turned away, settling herself on her knees. Claude completely unbuttoned her silk nightgown and now she simply held it her chest.

He wrapped gauze all the way around her waist and over the bruise bathed by the salve. When done, he gazed at his handiwork but then something else caught his eye. A long, purple scar that rode across her pale, perfect flesh. It rode from her left shoulder blade to the center of her back. He stared intensely, even though he had gazed upon it many times before.

"What is it?" Elizabeth said as she noticed his hesitation.

"You'd think the scars would have completely disappeared by now..."

She immediately jerked her head around and snapped, "Don't talk about them."

Claude, not in the least shocked, nodded. "Yes, Mistress. I apologize. It simply peaks my curiosity."

"Well, seek someone else to satisfy it."

Claude didn't reply. He helped her stand and then began to help her with her corset. She cringed as it closed over her wound.

"Milady, are you still in pain?"

"No. I'm fine."

He continued with the corset, then she pulled her pure black dress over her head. Where she was going, the people were attracted to bright colors.

"Prepare the carriage, Claude. I can finish on my own."

He nodded, and left.

Elizabeth straightened her dress and then began to tie a black bonnet around her head like a headband. She let her hair fall in golden ringlets around her neck and cascaded down her back. She straightened it with her fingers.

Elizabeth then pulled on her white cloth gloves and straightened her black dress. She then descended down to the parlor, where Claude waited at the door. He pushed his spectacles upon his nose and the then grabbed an umbrella from the coat rack. He welcomed her to the door, popping the umbrella open, a small smile grazing his face.

"Are you ready to leave, Mistress?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes."

Placing the umbrella over her head, Claude followed her out to the carriage. The rain fell heavily upon them in icy sheets.

"Raining again, is it?" She asked.

Claude replied, "Yes, I'm afraid so. It is the rainy season."

As they approached the carriage, "I rather like the rain. And I love the smell of it. It washes away the pollution and filth we leave on the land. That is the way of humanity."

Claude smirked gently, "Yes, my lady." He helped her in the carriage and then got in the driver's seat.

"Claude," she called.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Be sure not to let anyone see us."

He did not reply, for he already knew this, and she knew he did, but she felt the need to emphasize the need. And she had good reason.

It was a long while, driving through the rain as it pounded relentlessly against the windows and filled her ears with its rhythmic sound. She knew that Claude would be drenched when they reached their destination.

Elizabeth felt her heart begin to thrum at irregular beats, pounding frighteningly against her rib cage. She always got this way when they went to go see mother. No one knew she was there and no one was going to. But the slight chance that someone could figure it out was there, and knowing this was enough to get her frantic. But the thing that frightened her most was seeing her again.

The carriage pulled onto a dusty road that led up a hill of dead grass. In front of the driveway was a rusty sign made of black iron. It read, Blacktree Hill Asylum.

The carriage drove up the steep hill. Claude brought the carriage to a stop in front of the asylum and then slid out of the driver's seat. He opened the door for his mistress and she took his hand as he lead her to the door of the large, creaky building, holding the black parasol over her head. Claude knocked on the door and it was five or so minutes before it opened, the hinges squeaking in protest.

A chubby old man with greasy skin and beefy fingers peered through the crack in the door. He grunted at the sight of Claude, not yet remembering who he was, and then laid eyes on Elizabeth, who carried the glare she usually wore around him. He began to smile a big smile. He only had two to three teeth left in his mouth, and you could see his large, lolling tongue, black from years of smoking from a pipe.

"Gollish," Elizabeth acknowledged him.

"Why, if it isn't the rich lady from outside London. I haven't seen you in so long, Mistress Midford." Gollish threw open the door and bent down at her feet, grabbing her gloved hand and about to put his lips to it, before Elizabeth yanked her hand away. Claude, beside her, had tensed up and looked at his mistress from the corner of his eye.

"Shut up," she snapped. When around Gollish, her sweet and kind demeanor vanished completely. She could not stand this old man. And she was soon about to be reminded why.

Gollish somewhat resembled a beefy, underground troll as he got to his feet and directed her inside. The parlor was large and spacious and smelt of alcohol. Elizabeth sat down on the red velvet couch and dusted off her dress.

Gollish grabbed a full bottle of liquor and poured himself a glass and then gave Elizabeth one. She didn't take it. He eventually sat down.

"I expect the terms of our bargain have been kept?" Elizabeth questioned.

Gollish rubbed his chin. "Hmm...for the most part."

Elizabeth glared intensely at that.

"Well, my men had to put her down a few weeks ago after she had another spell. She attacked one of the keepers and wouldn't calm down under the strongest sedations so we had to physically knock her out. Of course, we were careful not to harm her eternally..."

"Attacking your men or not, you said you wouldn't lay a finger to harm her."

"We had no choice!" Spittle hung at the edge of his lips.

Elizabeth sighed. "I wish to see her now."

Gollish regained his composure, sitting back in his seat. He began in a sadistic grin, "Well, there is an entrance fee, Miss..."

Elizabeth scoffed. "You disgust me, you greedy old man." She dropped a few coins on the coffee table. You only receive half of your pay since she was hurt. Now take me to her."

Gollish scowled but chugged the rest of his alcohol down and then began to lead her to the cells.

They passed many cells. Elizabeth could hear the moans and cries of the damned...of the insane. They reached out their hands grabbing at her clothes and her hair, but the hallway was wide enough that she could never be touched.

But then Elizabeth heard a manly, brutal scream, as a man slammed into his cell door. It startled Elizabeth and she mistakenly stepped away. This immediately put her in reach of another inmate, and his large, pudgy hands came around her mouth. Elizabeth's gasp was muffled.

The man wrapped his arm around her neck. Claude lunged forward, his arm outstretched, but the man gripped her strongly and slammed her against the cell door. "Move and I'll snap her neck!"

Elizabeth thought she could puke at his putrid scent. As Claude stood frozen, she sighed.

"Now..." The man giggled. "O-o-open the door. "

Gollish, looking startled, began to pick up his ring of keys. He did not want a noble dying on his land, for it would bring bad business.

He unlocked the cell door and the man pushed it open, still clinging to his prize through the bars. When the door was open, he quickly swung around, releasing Elizabeth for just a moment, before grabbing her again.

"I-I think I'll take you with me," the man gurgled in her ear. "I...I've never had a virgin before..." he laughed again, then licked the shell of her ear.

Elizabeth crowed in disgust, "Claude, get this filthy man off me."

Claude smiled devilishly. "But if I do, he will kill you, my lady."

Elizabeth glared at his sarcasm.

"Yes, my Mistress."

"Oi, what're you doin'?" The man began to shake.

Claude took off his glove. And with lightning movements, he hit all the man's vital spots. The man was stunned at first, and then screamed in agony. He released Elizabeth and began to roll around on the floor, screaming, "I can't feel my body! I'm dead! I'm dead!"

"Oh, I doubt that..." Claude replied, and then used his foot to push the man back in his cell, and then he shut the door behind him. He put his glove back on his hand.

"You took too long," Elizabeth snapped.

"I apologize, Lady Elizabeth. I just enjoyed seeing you so vulnerable." Claude bowed.

Elizabeth growled at him, turning to Gollish with her arms crossed. "Continue," she snapped at him.

Gollish blinked, but continued to lumber on down the corridor. Now, all the asylum inmates were excited and ready to try their luck at escaping, and one slammed on the door with all his force. Elizabeth took an involuntary step away, and ran straight into Claude's chest.

"Now, my lady, we do not want a repeat of what happened."

Elizabeth yanked away. "Quit being so arrogant, demon." And then she went to catch up with Gollish, who was already at the end of the hall.

Claude couldn't help smiling as he followed.

Gollish stopped at a large door at the end of the hallway. He unlocked the door, and opened it, gesturing for her to enter. "There ya go, m'lady."

As she walked in, Claude followed.

Her mother sat on her cot, seemingly asleep, but Elizabeth knew she wasn't.

"Mother? I'm here."

The woman was silent for a long time, but then began to sit up. She looked up at Elizabeth, a crooked smile on her face and her flat, flaxen hair sticking to her face.

"My...daughter."

"Yes it's me."

Her mother got out of the cot, looking deeply from butler to daughter. Then her gaze rested on Claude. "I see you still have the...b-butler in black."

"Yes, mother. Claude is still by my side."

"I'm surprised. I would thought he'd 'ave eaten you alive by now," she said, still grinning.

Surprised, Elizabeth uttered, "Mother?"

Her mother began to get excited, leaping from foot to foot. "I-I made something for you."

Still uneasy, Elizabeth replied, "What is it?"

Her mother wandered back over to her cot, and lifted her flat, dirty pillow.

"I made you a new bonnet!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, tis' your favorite color!" Her mother reached out, but Elizabeth took off her own solid black bonnet and let her mother put on the pink one. It fit perfectly around her head, made especially for her.

"Thank you, mother."

She nodded solemnly. "Yes, it was before they took away my needles..."

Elizabeth paid for her mother to have all sorts of luxuries while here, including books and sewing needles and thread. Her mother was usually well behaved so Gollish didn't mind. Despite five or six spells, every month or so, she was a perfectly normal and capable woman.

These "spells" used to happen so often. The doctors had at least been able to figure out what was happening to her during them. During the spell, her mind would succumb to an imaginary place where everything is perfect. In her absence, a completely different person would rise and take her place. Elizabeth wasn't even sure if you could call it madness.

And not only that, but it was completely involuntary. She wanted complete control over her body but she couldn't have it. And not only that, but these other personalities would talk to her, persuade her movements and actions.

"You'll get them back soon," Elizabeth reassured, but her mother had already wandered toward Claude.

"How snide and cunning, little spider. Taking advantage of my little butterfly. I shall have you know that I am the lion that treads over your web. I shall crush you under the massive pads of my paws and the butterfly shall untangle herself from your web." Her voice had changed, deeper and frightening. It had happened again.

"Mother—?"

"What do you plan to do with my little butterfly, once the time has come? Shall you rip her apart inside and devour her innocent soul? Or shall you cook her flesh for your feast—?"

"Stop!"

Her own mother was uttering all of her possible fates and she couldn't stand it. How had she known what Claude was? Better yet, how did she know Elizabeth had a contract with him and the terms? It had to be the other voices, whispering nightmares in her ears.

"My little girl..." Her mother crowed, a smile on her pale face. _"A demons whore."_

"Mother, stop!"

A sudden crash of thunder rolled in the sky and Elizabeth dropped to her knees, crying. Elizabeth had had to deal with this every time she came to visit. She was called names, but never before had she endured this. Her mother had never let on that she knew any of her daughter's secrets.

"Lizzy? Are you okay?" Her mother had regained an unusually cheery voice. "Is it true, darling? Have you reduced yourself to giving away your body—your heart—to a demon?"

"No, I..."

Her mother reached out, pulling her into her arms, cradling her only daughter.

"I hope you two live happily in hell together."

Elizabeth had had enough. She pushed away from her mother, and she fell to the floor, startled. She stared wide eyed at her daughter.

"No! Just shut up! Just stop!"

And then Elizabeth fled.

Claude was left in the room with the deranged woman. She looked toward him, staring into his golden orbs, and saw him for who he really was. A demon. A devourer of souls. But her face did not twist in anger or disgust. Her face became drenched in her own tears and she reached out her hand, pale from being unable to go out in the suns embrace. Claude bent down to the sad woman, and she grabbed his jacket, softly at first, but then pulling her face closer to his.

"Please," the woman cried, clutching his jacket tightly, with pleading eyes filling with tears. "Don't strip my dear butterfly of her wings."

Elizabeth sat silently in the velvet seat of the carriage, listening as the rain became quieter with every drop. She wiped away a few remaining tears and watched home come into view.

_Her mother knew about the contract. And she hated her for it. She hated her..._

Claude pulled the carriage to the stop in front of the mansion. He got out of his driver's seat, drenched from the crying of the skies, and opened the black parasol as Elizabeth stepped out. He began to follow her to the door, but she tripped over a pebble and fell forward.

As Claude caught her, the parasol fell from his hands. She fell into his arm and he could hear her sniffle.

And then she went limp in his grasp, and he tightened his grip so she wouldn't collapse in the ground. She began sobbing, wailing. "She hates me, Claude! My mother hates me..."

Never before had he seen such an emotional outburst from his mistress. She was calm and happy and determined, but she was human, and he couldn't expect any more or any less.

She sobbed into his jacket as he picked her up from the ground. He gently whispered in her ear, "Now, now, Elizabeth. Even the cruelest demons in hell can't help but love their child."

And he carried her inside, up the stairs. He took off her new bonnet, and her gloves. He took the ribbons from her hair and stripped off her dress and corset and put her in her nightgown. He lay her down and wrapped the sheets around her.

"Please try and get some rest until sunrise, Lady Elizabeth."

"Claude?" She sat up.

"Yes, my lady?"

"What do you plan to do with me when the contract is over?"

"My lady..."

She threw herself at him, her hands on either side of his face. She cried, "Tell me! This is an order!"

Claude sighed, then looking to meet her eyes. Such dominance and fierceness in a grieving little girl. He found it most delectable. "I plan on ravishing you, mistress. Breaking you apart until there is nothing left of your pureness. Feeding my hunger until I am appeased. That is, what demons are meant to do, but we all do not do it in the same ways."

"And how do you plan to do it?" Elizabeth said, gripping his face tighter.

Claude looked her directly in the eye, sighing, and a somewhat sad look driven by his words. "I tend to make my meals last an eternity."

* * *

**_I thought I should say that I was really nervous about posting this one. I know people won't be attracted to it since its about the high-pitched, squeaky, preppy girl. I do hope someone will at least find joy in reading it. If not, I might just delete it and pretend it never happened. _**

**_But anyway, I really want some ideas on how to develop Claude and Elizabeth's relationship. ^_^_**

**_And comment please!_**


	3. Chapter 3: A Boy, Nearly Dead

Elizabeth awoke feeling miserable. It felt as if her eye lids were glued and crusted but she managed to rub them and eventually open them. And once she did, she found it extremely early. The sun still hadn't risen and it was too early for Claude to come and wake her. She was still fatigued from yesterday's happenings, not to mention she had slept most of the day due to her injuries. She thought since she had gotten so much sleep, she wouldn't be so tired now, but she was. And she even looked as bad as she felt.

Elizabeth realized this when she threw the blankets and sheets off herself, struggling because they had wrapped around her in the night. Her body, barely covered by her nightdress, was damp in her perspiration. Her legs and arms were moist with sweat. She must have been dreaming heavily to have this happen. Though she couldn't remember what it was. Rubbing her eyes once more, trying to get used to the darkness, she flung her legs off the bed and lazily got to her aching feet. She approached the bathroom, opened the doors, and strode to the mirror across from the ornate bath. She gazed at herself, the moonlight reflecting off the surface.

Her skin was ghastly pale, the moonlight bouncing off her round cheekbones and her hair, which was nearly flat as cardboard. She needed a bath, but she hadn't the time yesterday. As her skin sunk in to her eye sockets, it was pink and puffy. Her nose was stuffed and she timidly reached over to grab a white hanky and blew into it. It didn't help.

She looked at her wretched self again. _Had she driven herself sick? _Her loose nightgown had begun to slip down her shoulder, and slowly, a long purple scar was revealed in the pale moonlight. She reached upward, and attentively touched it with the tips of her fingers…and abruptly she remembered her dream.

From the beginning, Elizabeth Midford's life had been in a permanent downfall. She had fallen into a hole and she couldn't claw her way out. For as long as she could remember, she had been in this hole, since before the contract, before her mother's insanity and her father's disappearance. This hole led all the way back to the loss of her only friend, Ciel Phantomhive. Even though she had been little, the loss of someone she cared deeply for did not go away. It some ways, it's worse. She had been utterly heartbroken when she could no longer see him, and she hadn't even known why. She just couldn't. And this is what had made her a very lonely child. A happy child, but nonetheless lonely.

But then, when all had seemed lost, there had appeared a light. This light was white-hot and brilliant and altogether vibrant, resembling so much the soft, celestial brilliance of the moon's light it cast into a dreary night, tinted in royal purple. Such hopes she placed in this light, to save her, to pull her out of this hole and help her to make everyone smile, without hiding behind her own selfless grin. It beckoned her near and drew her close until she approached incautiously, unwarily, but still afraid.

But before she could reach this light, a string, thin and fine as hair but pale as milk, wrapped around her right wrist. She gasped, her breath shaky, as she looked down on her trapped wrist. All she could see was her arm, and then a thin sliver of light wrapped around it. The rest of the world was dark, but she managed to begin clawing at her wrist, trying to get the string to cut slack, but it only seemed to wrap tighter around her delicate arm. She yanked at it, but only made it worse. Elizabeth made a strangled sound as more of these thin lines began to wrap around her, encasing her. First her wrists, then her thighs…her calves, and then her ankles. The threads around her wrist pulled her arms together upon her chest, and more of the strings wrapped around her so her arms would stay there. She struggled against them but they only grew tighter…

And then she was pulled backwards and she was falling for a moment in time before she landed on a material that made her body bounce upward as it hit it. It was soft and luxurious and unlike any bed she had laid on. She opened her eyes and saw that she had landed on a never-ending expanse of web—spider web. Beyond that, there was utter darkness. Like floating in a starless sky.

And she struggled even more. If she was entangled in a web, that could only mean she had become prey, though she wasn't sure how. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep in her dirty cot. After being wrecked with nightmares, she had finally found herself floating…but this couldn't be a dream. It just couldn't. It felt all too real.

The webs became tighter.

And then she felt the web move, shudder with a sudden weight. Elizabeth searched and she found it. Turning her head, she saw the spider, the creator of the web and the one who had entangled her in it. She could only stare, wide-eyed as its massive body approached.

Four beady black eyes stared into the depths of her own and she cringed, feeling it rummage around in her heart and bring to light the secrets she had vowed never to share. And the feeling stopped suddenly before the creature spoke, the hairy fangs twitching as it did.

_"__What is your wish?"_

Elizabeth shook her head. She couldn't stare at it any longer. She murmured fragilely, "My wish?"

_"__Yes. Your wish…"_ It droned.

Elizabeth left the question unanswered. "Are you the fairy the servants speak of?"

The creature was silent a moment. She could hear its teeth click, almost impatiently.

_"__Yes, though I am no fairy. I am a demon."_

Elizabeth choked on her breath. A demon? Why would those idiots have been fooling around with some type of black magic as to summon a demon? Was it possible?

If he was truly a demon, that meant she had God by her side, right? Someone had to. She couldn't untangle herself, and it wasn't as if he threatened to eat her alive. All he had done was ask her one simple question: _What is your wish?_

She swallowed, and managed to scoff weakly. "Why would I want a demon to grant my wishes?"

The demon chuckled lightly_. "I see in your heart, you are desperate for help. For revenge. But there is no one there to save you, poor soul. I am your last chance."_

His words rang true, and her head drooped down to her bound chest. She shuddered involuntarily. He knew too much. But she knew there had to be a catch to this predicament. No one simply roamed around granting wishes—even fairies. There was a price, and she knew it.

_"__Now, what is your wish?"_

Elizabeth forced herself to look at the creature. "And what do you get, for granting my wish?"

She could hear it in its voice—it was grinning_. "Smart child, you are. As soon as your wish is granted, I am entitled to your mind, body, and soul."_

"So, I am given to you?"

The spider hissed excitedly. _"That would be terms of the contract."_

_A contract?_

Elizabeth was silent for a long moment. Was it worth it? Maybe. She herself knew that if she didn't escape this place, she would end up dead in a matter of days. She knew this, and yet she was hesitant.

And one word stuck to her mind. _Revenge. _It hadn't occurred to her until now just how much she craved it. She longed to see their blood drenching the ground beneath her feet, their eyes opened in shock as they lay dying, begging her for mercy, the mercy they never gave her, just a small girl. She was still small. But they didn't care. They had never cared. They never would either.

And some other part of her was appalled these dark thoughts. When had she become such a dark person? Had she always been like this? _Did it even matter now?_

_"__Your wish?"_

Elizabeth thought for a long time. She couldn't simply put out a wish only to regret it later. She had to be smart. She couldn't be deceived. She had to weigh out her options and make a wish that would benefit her for a very long time. Elizabeth said, "Give me time. I need to decide on my wish."

The demon seemed somewhat pleased, if not impressed. "Summon me again when you have decided your wish."

And then the demon disappeared. And then the web under her went with it. She slowly floated, drifted down and landed on a soft bed of grass. She could still feel where the web strands had entangled her body.

_She had escaped the spider's web, but she knew she would be flying right back into it._

Elizabeth shook her head, seeming to come out of her past. She couldn't regret past decisions. She didn't regret them. Not when she was so close to getting her revenge. But with Ciel popping up again, that complicated things. He wanted her dead for a reason she was unsure of. She had supposedly taken his soul. But how could she have done that? Didn't he see the surprise on her face when she realized who he was? She hadn't seen him in years, yet he still accused her!

She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck and looking longingly to the bath, but she knew that taking one would require heated water, which only Claude could get. And he, along with everyone else in the mansion, was probably asleep. Her stomach, suddenly, began to roar and rumble, as if a newborn dragon had been born inside her, and she held her stomach as if to contain her hunger. She had only eaten breakfast yesterday, she remembered with a wince.

She took one last look at herself in the mirror, staring at the mark that symbolized her contract with Claude. An inverted pentagram of some sort marked the base of her neck, somewhat resembling a rose. Then, the thorny stem lacing all the war around her neck like a choker. Elizabeth grabbed a simple white choker and covered the mark. Never could she let it be seen.

Elizabeth couldn't wait. She was starving and dirty and she needed Claude.

So, she left the bathroom and then her bedroom. The halls were quiet and eerie, unlike how it was in daylight. A chill in the air caught her by surprise and she shivered in the moonlight that shun through the large windows of the right side of the hall. She felt somewhat comforted in that light before she was forced to leave it as she trotted down the stairs. Through the parlor and through the dining room, she sat on a stool in the kitchen, a place she hadn't been in a long time. She shifted on the uncomfortably hard stool and then rested her head on the kitchen counter. She would just have to wait until Claude or one of the other servants awoke and came down to make breakfast.

After all, she knew not a thing about cooking and she wasn't about to try. Of course, her pride was of too much value to admit that. She could cook if she wanted to. She just didn't want to. At all. Ever.

Her head on the counter, she began to doze but she could never actually sleep. She must've been there for at least thirty minutes before she heard footsteps, and she slowly sat up to greet whoever it was.

Maria opened the door and, expecting to find an empty kitchen, found a figure hunched over the counter. She gasped before letting out a screech that pierced Elizabeth's ears.

"Stop that!" She yelled at her, and Maria's cry of fear slowly let down.

Gasping in gulps of air, her heart pounding, Maria looked at her mistress. She was still in her nightclothes and she carried bags under her puffy red eyes. _What was she doing up so early? _She was disoriented! That's the only reason a noble would end up in the kitchen.

"Mistress!" Maria cried, running toward Elizabeth's hunched figure. Her facial expression never changed. "Are you sick? Did something happen to you—?"

She was interrupted by a strange cry, a gurgling sound. Maria looked down from where she had unintentionally grabbed Elizabeth's shoulders, and her eyes met the girl's stomach, the source of the unruly sound. Maria gulped, wondering how such a small girl could have made such a loud and disturbing sound.

"I'm...hungry," the girl admitted. "Where's Claude?"

"Why, he already brought your medicine up to your bedroom. He had predicted you wouldn't be feeling well. I'm sure he didn't expect to find you down here—"

The door opened and Claude pushed his way through, outfitted to cook with his apron on and his sleeves rolled to his elbows. Maria sighed dreamily.

"Where have you been?" Elizabeth ground out, irritation clear in her voice. "I've been in here for thirty minutes and you were never here! I've been starving—!"

Claude stared, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of Elizabeth. Then he smiled lightly. "I had expected you to be in your bedroom, my lady. I thought you might want some extra rest after that frightfully eventful day yesterday so I let myself come in later than usual. It seems to me you're still tired."

Elizabeth held her breath. She hated it when he was right.

"Mistress, might I interest you in some medicine? It should help you feel better, and maybe help you sleep—"

"Not until I have food in my belly."

Claude smiled. "Why, yes, of course." After a brief moment, he said, "Would you like me to escort you to the dining room?"

"No. I'm staying right here," she replied stubbornly. But still, it didn't faze her capable butler. She longed to annoy him, to push his buttons, but they were always so hard to find. She wasn't sure why. It was simply a strange urge.

And so, Elizabeth sat there, waiting for her food to be served. Maria helped Claude cook, doing what he informed her to. While Maria was frantic, running from counter to counter in order to get many things done at once, whereas Claude kept in one area, hands moving swiftly yet carefully, characteristically. Fluidly. She found herself enjoying watching. And for some reason, this frightened her a bit. Entertained by housework? It didn't sound right.

Despite her aching body's protests, she rubbed her red, tired eyes and stood. She began to walk out of the kitchen.

"I thought you wanted to stay in here, mistress?"

"Shut up," she muttered, shutting the door behind her.

She sat down at the dining table, trying to keep her head up, but she was slumping down. Even though she had no guests, it was uncivilized to sleep on the dining room table. She finally shook her head and kept her eyes open wide, but this succeeded in nothing but giving her a headache.

Claude opened the doors, holding a silver tray that caught the light from the glowing chandelier, which hadn't been lit when she had first came into the dining room. He announced what se was being served, and revealed the meal—Elizabeth wasn't really listening. She could care less what it was, as long as it was inside of her in the very next second. She quickly began to eat, trying to be as civilized as possible, but quite obviously failing. Claude chuckled at her attempts.

When Elizabeth was done, she quickly stood and Claude, without word, began to escort her back upstairs. As he opened her bedroom door, she muttered, "I can't sleep. I shouldn't even bother."

"Now, now, mistress. Your sleeping schedule is already completely obscured so I believe you should at least try. Besides, you are a bit sick."

"I'm not," she replied as she settled in bed.

"I do not mean to argue, but," Claude approached her and unclothed his hand, the one opposite the contract sign, and put his hand to her forehead, pushing away her golden locks. "You are."

"I need a bath," she complained.

"You can have one on the morrow."

Claude picked up a glass of water that was sitting on her dresser and held out his gloved hand. In it, was her medicine. "Now, eat these capsules and wash it down with this water." She did so as he finished and he took the remaining water from her. Elizabeth began to lie down as he added, "Now, please try to sleep, or your condition will only perceive to get worse."

Elizabeth sighed and buried herself in the blankets. She felt horrible and wanted to sleep, but she needed to know something…something she should have asked from the beginning.

"Claude," she said before he could leave. "How would it be possible for me to steal Ciel's soul?"

"Souls are intricate things in themselves, mistress. Would you still like me to explain?"

She nodded.

"Souls, just like the human body, have an anatomy. A soul is made up of two parts. The body and the heart. There are both natural and unnatural ways to take a soul from a human. There are two natural ways. The first, when a Grim Reaper judges a dying a human, and if their deemed unworthy of life, then they take the soul. Both the heart and the body of the soul are taken. The second is when a demon eats a soul. He eats both heart and body with no problem. We do this with no problem because it is our job. We are born to eat or take souls. It is when humans take souls that it is unnatural. Only the main body of the soul is taken in that way, and humans have many ways of doing that, but since they are not meant to take soul, they only take the body, not the heart. So the heart, quite smaller than the body, carries most memories, but not all."

"So, Ciel's soul was taken by a human?"

"It appears so. He would know if he has sudden collapses and remembers bits of his past. That would be the "body" part of the soul, calling out."

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. Suddenly collapsing? Why did that sound familiar?

Oh, that's right… When Ciel had come to the manor, she had collapsed in sudden remembrance. Why had she forgotten him in the first place? Could it be that…?

_Was the body of her soul not with her?_

Claude raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. Didn't you collapse on the night Earl Phantomhive came to visit? Mistress, did you remember anything suddenly?"

Elizabeth glared as she noticed he carried a knowing smirk. "You knew the body of my soul was missing long ago, didn't you?" she accused.

Claude shook his head. "No, not long ago, Mistress. Just shortly after the Lord Earl's visit. I thought it best you figure it out on your own, which I daresay, _knew_ you would."

Elizabeth sighed irritably. "Do you think Ciel an my souls disappearance are related to one another?"

Claude tucked her in tightly. "Yes, I do."

Elizabeth rested her head on the pillow. Claude didn't leave, knowing she had more to inquire.

"Should I explain to Ciel that my soul is also gone?"

Claude shook his head. "Personally, I doubt they would believe you on the spot."

Elizabeth closed her eyes. "We have to do something. Ciel still wants my head on a platter."

"That is for you to decide, Mistress."

Elizabeth chuckled sarcastically, rolling over onto her side and closing her eyes. She could not hear Claude's footsteps as he went to the door and opened it, but before he left, he called to her, "Good night, my lady."

And the room became dark.

In the middle of the day, there was a knock on the door. Maria looked up from her work on cleaning the stairwell, and then stood, brushing off her dress. She quickly got to the door before another housemaid got to it. Claude was probably watching over Elizabeth still, and she was probably the only who looked suitable enough to answer.

She opened the door and peered through, immediately being met with a familiar set of wide, emerald eyes and a smile wide enough to fill the room.

Edward Midford, Knight of the Royal Guard, stepped in, and Maria immediately bowed and greeted him. "Hello, Maria!" He smiled at her dramatically, taking her hand and kissing it.

Maria flushed. She always got nervous around Edward, for he didn't treat her as a servant should.

"Where is my sister? I miss her so much!" Edward whined. Maria knew Elizabeth missed him, too, and never really got to see him except once a month when the queen would allow him to take a break.

Maria frowned at the mention of Elizabeth. He noticed.

"What's the matter?" He approached Maria, a worried gaze in his eyes.

"It's just...the mistress has fallen ill. She should be better soon, though. It's nothing serious."

But Edward, as dramatic as he is, gripped Maria's shoulder, and gazed deeply at her. Her cheeks reddened all over again. "Maria, please, take me to her!"

And so Maria did. They met Claude halfway.

"Good evening, Lord Midford." He bowed dutifully and then stood, meeting Edward's worried gaze.

Edward stepped forward. "Can I see my sister?"

Claude, fully aware he was acting way out of proportion, nodded and led him down the hall to Elizabeth's room. "Please be aware, sir, she is sleeping." And then he opened the door for him, and as he strode through, followed him in.

Edward saw his sister buried underneath her large covers, her lips parted open slightly and her eyelashes angelically grazing her high-perched cheekbones. He sighed, and approached her bed, beginning to take off his shoes. Once they were off, he climbed into her bed and grazed her cheek with his finger.

Claude, a bit unsettled, informed him, "Sir Midford, if you continue to get so close, you may catch it—"

"I don't mind getting a bit sick. I'd rather be in bed then leading that bunch of soldiers. A bit too shifty, if you ask me." He continued to smile at his sister, sleeping soundly.

Claude managed to smile. "Then I shall leave you to your bonding…"

But as he proceeded to leave, Edward suddenly gasp. "Lizzy! You're awake!"

Claude turned back and walked for the bed, where he saw her rub her eyes, squinting into the room. Her eyes focused on her elder brother, she gasped, leaping upward.

"Edward! What are you—?"

Her brother dragged her downward and hugged her with all his might. "Lizzy!" he sobbed hysterically. "I thought you were gooooooone!"

Elizabeth pushed at him. "I'm just sick, is all—"

"But, Lizzy—"

"Edward, get off." When he finally released her, she sat down on her legs and asked, "Why were you in my bed?"

"I let myself in. Just like old times, eh?"

Elizabeth cringed.

"Lizzy! You're dressed so indecently!" Edward suddenly gasped, throwing a blanket over her face.

Elizabeth growled and threw it off. "Excuse me, if I'd known I'd be having guests as I slept, I would have dressed all fancy for the occasion!"

Edward faked a hurt look. "I didn't know I was such a bother!"

Elizabeth scoffed, "You're more than that."

"Liiiizzy..." Edward pouted, tears welling.

Elizabeth smiled, "You're my brother."

Edward smiled, "For a moment I bought you'd become an adult on me. Don't scare me like that!"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Claude had approached, smiling lightly, "Did the medicine help, Milady?"

"Yes, yes it did, Claude."

"Oh, yes, I forgot to ask. How is that new butler of yours doing?" Edward said, glancing toward Claude. His eyebrow twitched.

"Edward, he's not new. I've had him for two years now."

"Oh, really? He looks different every time I see him!" he laughed.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but before she could reply, Claude intruded carefully, "Mistress, I do believe it is time for your bath."

"Oh, please," she agreed, beginning to crawl off the bed, but Edward grabbed her gently, pulling her back.

"Edward, release me!" she cried as he hugged his sister for dear life.

"No! Please let me read you a bedtime story, like old times?" He pressed his cheek to hers, beginning to whimper like a pup. She groaned.

"No, Edward, I am perfectly capable of reading by myself. Besides, we both haven't had dinner yet."

"Later tonight, then? Before you go to bed?" he begged miserably. Edward was always desperate to spend time as things used to be. He needed to stop clinging to the past, as he always did. Whereas, Elizabeth was always looking to escape the past.

"Why are you in such a rush, Edward?"

Edward winced, then met her gaze, looking guilty. "I can only stay for the rest of the evening. I do have some very important duties to maintain back at the castle."

Elizabeth immediately washed away her hurt look. He brother carried a big job on his shoulders, and she thought she had accepted that a long time again. "Fine."

And then she went into the bathroom, shutting the doors behind her until she heard her brother leave. Then she opened them to peak outside as she heard the doors open again.

Claude sped in, two pails of warm water in his arms, with Maria coming behind him with another pail. They strode into the bathroom and poured it into the tub.

Now she could have a while to relax and get over the last symptoms of her self-inflicted illness. And hopefully give her brother time to calm down. Elizabeth constantly had to remind herself that this wasn't the only side of her brother. The other part of him, the part that led soldiers into battle, or held his chin, and sword, high in the face of an enemy, was noble and brave-the face of a prince.

_"Lizzy, you're so lucky to have a Knight for a brother," Ciel gushed, grinning ear to ear as he handed her a piece of candy. _

_Elizabeth gazed at the label, knowing just by the color of the wrapping that it was her favorite flavor. It was the chocolate with that sweet, burnt orange colored filling that oozed from the shell as she nibbled on it. _

_She squirmed in the crawl space of Ciel's closet, muzzling closer to her friend. _

_"He isn't a Knight yet," Lizzy muttered, beginning to unwrap it as Ciel began munching on his. _

_"But he will be," he replied admiringly. "Daddy said that I'm going to protect the queen when I grow up."_

_The little girl was filled with envy. "I want to protect the queen, too, Ciel!"_

_"Okay, okay, you can protect the queen too."_

_Elizabeth suddenly gasped, reaching out to grip Ciel's small arm. Ciel's face immediately changed. "What is it?"_

_"Did you hear that?"_

_"Hear what?"_

_"I think it's a monster!" Elizabeth said in a whispery voice._

_Ciel immediately began to tear up. "Lizzy," he pouted, sniffling. _

_"I'll protect you, Ciel!" Elizabeth wrapped her little arms around him, and Ciel hugged her back, whimpering. _

_And suddenly, the closet doors burst open and a massive figure, shrouded in shadow, lurched forward, roaring monstrously. Ciel and Lizzy screamed high-pitched wails as the shadowy figure came into the light. _

_A woman with bright red hair and matching red clothing burst in and immediately noticed the candy smeared faces._

_"Why, what little pigs I've found!" Auntie Red gently picked them up as their screams lowered into high pitched giggles. "Time to hide the candy again..."_

* * *

Ciel Phantomhive sipped at his Earl Grey tea, the pungent taste washing over his dehydrated tongue. Steam rolled off the surface and bathed his nose in warmth before he set his cup down on his desk and prepared to finish the abundant piles of paperwork strewn across his desk.

The papers were about as dull as they were everyday. Smaller companies asking for loans or letters from the men who ran and operated his factories. They were informing Ciel of how well the company was doing, except that they were beginning to struggle with demand. They needed newer machinery to keep up with the children of the world.

Ciel sighed and reached for his tea. He knew he had the money to do so, but the question was if he should. He couldn't ship in new machinery that wasn't needed, or if demand was simply going to drop again.

But Ciel found his mind wandering. About her. The girl whom he once loved as a brother would to his sister. She wouldn't abandon his thoughts and he couldn't concentrate while she was on his mind.

Elizabeth had gotten a lot better with her sword. And she only proceeds to get better. After all, her family was born to be the guard dog of the queen. Eliminating threats from surrounding countries was the guard dog's duty, whereas, the Phantomhives' held the position of watchdog. The watchdog eliminated all threats from within England, the underground. That is the dirty burden the watchdog carried.

Ciel's stomach began to ache, and he rung for Sebastian. In no more than three minutes, he arrived, smiling lightly as he approached Ciel's desk.

"Did you need something, Young Master?"

"I'm hungry," Ciel declared sternly. "Bring me something sweet."

Sebastian sighed, resisting the urge to run his gloved fingers through his hair. "I'm afraid I cannot, Young Master, you'll leave food on your plate."

Ciel began to sift through the paperwork, absentmindedly replying, "Just bring me a scone or something."

The butler sighed again. "Young Master."

Ciel looked up at him, his eyes pointed, then groaned irritably. "How long until dinner?"

Sebastian grinned, knowing he had won. "No more than an hour, My Lord."

"Fine. I'll wait."

"Is there anything else you desire, Young Master?"

Ciel met Sebastian's gaze. "Yes," he replied airily. "You could help me figure something out."

"And what might that be?"

Ciel's eyes sharpened. "The night when we went to visit Mistress Midford."

"What of it?"

"It appears, Elizabeth has been having the same lapses I have, with my memory."

Sebastian grinned. "Yes, I believe I noticed that, also. What do you think this means, My Lord?"

"I don't know what to make of it. It makes no sense. All of the signs pointed to her. But it appears she had forgotten me due to her soul being contorted-ripped apart from her."

"Perhaps she is simply as good at playing games as you are, My Lord," Sebastian reasoned. Then his expression became dark as he turned his gaze back to his master. "Perhaps she is just as smart as her mother was."

Ciel's gaze darkened in return. "Don't talk about it." He began to fiddle with the ring on his finger-it helped him think. "I don't think she knows what is going on behind the scenes. Typical guard dog," he chuckled. "Perhaps we were wrong in directly confronting her. She wouldn't have had to have gotten involved in this."

"But it seems she is already involved. Part of her soul is gone."

"That's not our problem." Ciel took a sip of his tea.

"It could be the same person who took yours. Your souls are very similar in purities. It seems as if someone is..."

"Collecting them?"

"Precisely."

Ciel sighed. "Should we go see her again?"

Sebastian felt his straight face crumble. His master must have been very desperate at this point to ask advice from a lowly butler. Ciel's pride simply wouldn't allow it...until now. After all, it was his soul they were speaking of. Of course it would mean a lot to him. Not to mention, if the body of his soul was gone for too long, separated from the heart, it would soon cease to exist.

And Sebastian couldn't very well let that happen, now could he?

So he simply smiled at his master in reply.

Ciel rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Go make me dinner, Sebastian."

"Yes...My Lord."

"Mistress, your bath is ready."

Elizabeth looked from Claude to the bath, which was filled with soapy, bubbly water. Claude approached her and began to unbutton her nightdress, holding it together so it didn't fall away and reveal her scars. Her butler turned away then, taking off his white linen gloves and beginning to roll up his sleeves. As he was turned away, Elizabeth let the clothing fall and she stepped in.

Claude began to pull the soaps from the cabinet as Elizabeth settled under the bubbles and into the water. She began to feel better immediately as she sunk low into the mass warmth, engulfing her. Claude approached the bath, soaps in hand, and placed them on the ground beside the tub. He scooped up some water in a pail and gently poured it over her head to dampen her flat, blonde hair.

"Edward might be a problem," Elizabeth stated bluntly.

"And why is that, Mistress?"

Elizabeth blew on an unusually large pile of soapy bubbles. "I don't want him him to know of Ciel's reappearance. And Ciel may very well attack again when he gets the chance. I don't want my brother to get mixed in this, let alone die at Ciel's hand...or Sebastian's."

"You needn't worry, Mistress. Sir Edward leaves tonight, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I believe so. But I can't help but worry."

Sometimes it was hard to believe that a sweet girl like this would give everything to a demon. But she had, and Claude sometimes took for her for granted. A rare soul specimen such as this is not easy to obtain.

Claude began to lather soap into her hair. "It can't be helped, My Lady. He is one of your only family members left."

"Mhmm," she agreed absentmindedly. Claude washed out her hair and began to wash her back. He looked over her flesh and found the place where the large bruise had formed. It was nearly gone.

"The bruise has completely healed, Mistress. Those Indian herbal treatments worked nicely, yes?"

"Mmhm," she agreed. Her butler continued to wash her. A comfortable silence reigned for a long time.

"Do you think she's insane, Claude?" Elizabeth whispered suddenly.

Claude froze. Her knew she was referring to her mother, but he hadn't really given any thought as to why. _Why, humans don't need a reason to be mad._

"No. I do not think she is suffering from insanity."

Elizabeth sighed in relief.

"Some demons would say many souls are residing in her body. In fact, thats how many religions would refer to a human with many personalities..."

Elizabeth, startled, jerked her head towards him, her eyes pools of disbelief. Before now, she would have shaken off such an absurd thought, but now she thought it quite possible.

She leaned forward, her body rising slightly.

Claude changed his gaze, knowing she didn't like being stared at. A bit too much of her chest had been revealed to his eyes.

"Then wouldn't demons seek her out? It's a bunch of souls bottled into one body..."

"When a body takes on more than one soul, the original soul becomes contaminated. Uneatable. None of the other souls can be devoured with that one soul, her soul, defiling her." Disgust filled his voice, and Elizabeth turned to look at him. He took his gaze from his skin to return her look.

They stared at each other a long moment, before Claude closed his eyes and smiled. "Am I rubbing too hard, Mistress?"

Elizabeth kept her gaze on his face a moment, before returning her gaze to the dirtied water. "You're fine," she mumbled.

"Imagine Edward knowing I didn't have a housemaid to do this," Elizabeth said with dry humor.

"Well, Mistress, you could always have Maria wash you."

Elizabeth frowned, looking into the water, "I cannot trust anyone to do this for me. Not even my family, because they have betrayed me also."

She added a moment later, her voice grieving, "The only one I can trust is you, Claude," she whispered, then brought her hand to her neck, "because of this." She traced the contract with her fingers. "This is nothing more than a covenant of trust that lasts only until my trust runs out...When my wish is granted."

Claude smiled. She always had a regal way of putting things and it seemed to make things a lot easier for her. Maybe easy enough to where she won't struggle when the time comes.

"What a regal way of putting it, My Lady," Claude said as he gestured for her to stand. He turned as she did, and then grabbed a towel and turned, eyes closed, as he held it out for her. He opened his eyes again as he sensed she had wrapped it around her.

"But it is true," she put in quickly. "The world is always simply your perception of it. If you see it as a dark, ugly, godforsaken place then that is what it shall be. If you see it as a bright, beautiful place of serenity and glee than that is what it has become."

Claude, as he pulled a simple white and brown dress over her head, found his curiosity picking at him. "Might I ask you a question, Mistress?"

"Hmm?" Elizabeth straightened her dress and he began to softly brush out her hair, now soft from the soap.

"What is your perception of it, then?"

Elizabeth turned to him as he brushed out her bangs, grinning lightly. "Why would _you _want to know that?"

Claude gave her a disappointed look, which she paid no mind to. Just because I'm a demon doesn't mean I have no interest in human affairs. In fact, that is what keeps me entertained here."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I honestly don't know what to think of this place anymore. Just asking it myself confuses me, because I've seen many beautiful and wonderful things about this world, but I have also had the chance to see the ugly and unforgettable."

Dinner was quite large, and she enjoyed it a lot more than she let on. Edward made hearty conversation at the table, asking many, many questions and telling many "hard-to-keep-up-with" stories. They all flowed into one another and she suggested he just write a series of books instead of tell each one to her.

After dinner, she changed and slipped into bed. Edward, still in his clothes, lay beside her, on top of the blankets and read her poems from Edgar Allan Poe's collection, trying to scare her, but failing. After a few stories, he had to leave, and it was extremely late.

Elizabeth, Claude, and Maria followed him to the door where it rained heavily outside. He popped open a parasol and hugged his sister, reached out to shake Claude's hand (which he replied to be bowing) and then taking Maria's hand in his own and kissing it. She blushed furiously.

And then he stepped into the carriage and left, the horses and the carriage slowly disappearing in the mist.

Elizabeth walked away from the front doors and into the parlor, where she settled on soft velvet couch and began to read the tales of Edgar Allan Poe-the book Edward had been reading to her. Claude had followed her in and spoke drearily.

"Mistress, it is time for you to retire to your bed."

"But I'm not tired."

"We must work on getting back your sleeping schedule."

And just as Elizabeth shut the book, there was a loud bang, and her ears followed the sound to the front door. A fist rapping at the door.

She jumped upward. Maybe something happened to Edward's carriage? Had he trudged through the rain to get back here?

And Elizabeth was the first to get to the door, Claude behind her. She opened the door-

And on the ground, she saw the figure of a young boy, laying there on the porch, sodding wet and nearly bare. His body was cut and bruised, like he had obtained numerous beatings over time. And he wore a thin piece of cloth-a pair of shorts, she realized. Dirt masked his face and shrouded his light-blonde hair.

And blood quickly pooled around his small body.

* * *

This took forever to finish! It's about 27 pages so I hope this keeps you guys occupied for now. I honestly couldn't wait so I kept writing until it finally came up to Alois showing up! I was so excited to have him, and I've never anticipated a character so much.

Claude: I smile too much in this. -.-

Well, yeah it's because you actually enjoy Elizabeth!

Alois: OMFG I'M FINALLY HERE. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!

Yes, so I hope that you guys enjoy this one. It was basically just a filler until that very last part. And one of my reader's suggested that I put Prince Soma and Agni in here. And I absolutely love them with all my heart so please give me ideas on how to incorporate them in here!


	4. Chapter 4: A New Guest

The boy's eyes were open a slither, and light reflected from the puddles of rain and made his eyes—what little of them could be seen—glimmer with light as raindrops fell from his long eyelashes. His upper body was traced in liquids redder than wine, a fluid so familiar that as the smell wafted toward her unsuspecting nose, she felt her stomach heave and her guts begin to leap. Flashes of memories, changing every second to a different one—all of them contained this evil fluid.

And then they all came to a shattering halt as she felt him gently grab her arm and turn her toward him. Claude had got down to her level and he touched her chin with his fingers, urging her eyes to his. His eyes were alive and golden, and Elizabeth felt herself become revived at his familiar gaze.

"Please, miss…" He raised his other hand and wiped away a tear she hadn't known had fallen. "We don't want you to get sick again."

Elizabeth swallowed, her throat now dry. She felt her stomach cease its uplift and his fingers were still on her chin, causing her to shiver. Claude said to her, as he stood, "I shall take care of this properly."

"N-no!" Elizabeth grabbed his sleeves, stopping him. "He—c-could still be alive—!"

Claude smiled at her concern for a mere stranger. "I am highly aware of that." He bent down and whispered in her ear, so no other servants heard this exchange. He whispered: _"I can still hear his faint little heart beating in his chest."_

Elizabeth pulled away, swallowing as her butler smiled seductively. "Maria," he requested, though still looking down on his mistress with intense eyes. "Please escort Lady Elizabeth to bed."

"But what about the boy—?"

"I shall handle him. Once you've finished putting our mistress to bed, you may come down and assist me."

Maria, though unsatisfied, took hold of Elizabeth's shoulders and guided her up the stairs. She didn't protest. She trusted Claude and knew he would take care of everything.

It hurt that Elizabeth could not trust Maria with such things.

Maria, with a gentle hold of Elizabeth's shoulders, urged her toward her bedroom, up the staircase and through the dimly lit halls. When they approached the bedroom, the room was dark and cold, and Maria lit a candle as she walked the young girl to her bed. Elizabeth's eerie silence alarmed the housemaid, as if she were reliving a past that should have been forgotten.

Her silence spoke of a dark and bloody past.

A past that Maria knew too well of.

Elizabeth settled into the bed and faced the window. Maria was still a moment before stammering, "G-goodnight, Mistress."

There was no reply. Maria stood there for a long while, contemplating if she should stay until she fell asleep or simply leave. The unnerving silence in the usually bright room made her uneasy, and she questioned why she even considered the latter.

_Her grieving mistress might need her comfort…_

But this noble's pride was too strong to request comfort from a housemaid. A housemaid, of all things.

But all else considered…after what Maria had done, she should never be allowed to be in her mistress's presence.

* * *

Elizabeth slept a long time and when she awoke, she was rejuvenated in all sense of the word. She awoke to the same, familiar words she heard almost—_almost—_every morning.

"Mistress, your morning tea is ready."

Elizabeth sat up and stretched, arms high in the air. Considering the amount of sleep she got, she was surprised to be so awake.

Claude placed the tea in her hands and treaded to the window to throw open the light-absorbing velvet curtains. Sunlight poured into the room, and, for an odd reason, she wasn't instantly repelled by the sun. She basked in the light and warmth it gave, and it made her eyes widen a bit to take in more of the world. She lifted the cup of steaming tea t her lips—

And nearly choked when she gasped in sudden remembrance of last night. The boy. _The boy…_

She opened her mouth, but Claude surprised her with an amused smile. "He's awake. And he's waiting to meet his caretaker."

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, nodded, and anxiously let Claude dress her. Then he guided her down the hallway to the east wing of the manor, where the guest bedrooms resided, and paused at the door. Her butler turned to her.

"I would like to tell you what I've seen of him so you know what to expect when you walk in. The scars are deep, and the majority will stay on him forever. From the look of his injuries, he seems to have been tortured for many years, because some scars have already faded. He also seems to have been the victim of rape and perversion."

"That's awful."

"Yes, quite." Claude then knocked gently on the large door. When there was no answer, he proceeded to walk in, letting Elizabeth follow suit.

Her eyes glanced around the room. This guest bedroom hadn't been used in years, and she questioned why Claude would use this one. _Probably so as not to get blood on any of the used ones._

Elizabeth's eyes traveled to the bed, where she saw a figure sitting upward. He was tall and lanky, and extremely pale. Then again, who wouldn't be pale after bleeding all over someone's front porch?

She saw a shock of white blonde hair, and skin a shade paler than snow. He was looking out the window, where a pair of lovebirds were flittering around in circles. He seemed entranced, until he heard not one—but two pairs of feet striding toward his bed. Startled, he turned and set eyes on her. Elizabeth made a sharp intake of breath, suddenly nervous, and unreal visions flashed in her mind of him dashing to the corner of the bedroom, frightened. But he didn't do that.

His eyes rested on her, and she met his gaze. His eyes were the color of rainwater, not the type of blue of Ciel's at all, but a lighter, somewhat drearier version. His lips were parted slightly, proving her theory that he had been in a trance-like state, most likely caused by trauma. She shivered unwittingly.

And then he blinked and sat up straighter, as if thinking, _Oh! It's a girl! _He shut his lips tight.

"Hello," Elizabeth said softly. "I just thought I'd visit my guest."

The boy's cheeks flushed pure red, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly shut it, looking dumbfounded. He turned his embarrassed gaze to his lap.

Elizabeth couldn't help it. She giggled slightly. "I am Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford." He looked at her, a bit panicked. She smiled. She didn't mean to toy with him; it kind of just came naturally. "But you may call me Lizzy, if you like."

"L-Lizzy?"

"Yes," she clarified. "And what is your name?"

"J-Jim. Jim Macken."

"It's nice to meet you, Jim Macken. Tell me, are you hungry?" Elizabeth leaned forward on her toes.

Jim's eyes widened, suddenly excited at the thought of food. "Yes, miss. I am!" His quiet voice rises, and Elizabeth likes the change in atmosphere.

"Then, please," Elizabeth said, approaching the bed he sat in as she held out her hand, "may I escort you to the dining hall? Claude has prepared us something wonderful!"

Jim looked at her hand, seemed to fall into trust with it, and gently took it. She noticed how his hand shook gently, and it was covered in purple blotches of injured skin. He pulled the covers off himself, and stood beside her, and she realized he was a lot taller than her, by almost a head. She pulled her eyes away from his patched chest, surprised he was able to stand with the injuries, and grinned at his now blank face.

"Claude can help you get dressed and then he will escort you to the dining hall where you can feast to your heart's content!"

His face filled with smile, and then it faded back to his parted lip form. Confused, she watched his eyes become glazed and watery.

"Thank you!" he cried. And then, with sudden fluidness, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the ground. A show of respect in Japan, she remembered from her fluent studies.

Embarrassed at the display, Elizabeth bent downward and patted his bare back, his skin warm under her fingers. "Please stand, your highness. A guest shouldn't be on the floor. What kind of host would I be if I let you dirty yourself for my own sake?"

She had meant the statement as a way to reach out—she called him his highness simply to make him feel important, give him a sense of dignity after what he'd been through—he _was _important. But as soon as it left her lips, he gazed upward at her, watching her eyes smile upon him. His eyes glazed over again, but then he sniffled, shook his head gently, and gave her the smallest, if not most reassuring smiles she had ever received.

Claude stepped forward, and Jim turned his head toward him, torn from Elizabeth's gaze. "Sir, if you would please allow me to help you get dressed."

His eyes shun, and he nodded excitedly. The girl with sun-colored hair held both of her hands out to him and he took them. He stood—and tripped. He caught himself quickly but was leaned uncomfortably close to her, and he gasped, leaping back a foot or two. But he still got a whiff of her scent. It was still drifting in his mind. She smelt like…flowers…

She giggled before turning away and heading toward the door.

Jim breathed a sigh of relief, the heat of embarrassment leaving him. He was glad she hadn't said anything.

Elizabeth left the room and began to make her way to the dining hall. She sat down at the table and placed a napkin in her lap and waited patiently. It didn't take too long for her quest to appear, in a rather large button-up shirt (undoubtedly previously owned by either Claude, or Ambrose, as those were the only two males in the mansion) and Capri pantaloons, the kind a child would wear. He almost looked like a pirate with his rugged hair and attire, minus the eye patch.

Jim pushed his rolled up sleeves to his elbow, gazing at the empty table almost disappointingly, but when ushered by Claude, he sat down opposite of Elizabeth and stared blankly at her from across the table.

Elizabeth fumbled; how to make conversation with someone whom she had found beaten and bruised and bloody and lying on her front porch? She couldn't very well bring it up at breakfast; it would undoubtedly upset him.

Elizabeth smiled frailly "Since you're my guest, you can stay as long as you need to. Or course, we may need to have a wardrobe tailored for you…"

And at that moment, Claude and Maria presented breakfast, as extravagant as it was every morning. Jim just stared at it as it was displayed, not even moving to take a bite. Elizabeth eventually took notice of this and looked up from her meal. "Jim…?"

At that moment, his eyes began watering and he shouted, "Thank you so much! Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford!"

A bit shocked, Elizabeth took a sharp intake of breath as she gazed at his bowed head. She could no longer help herself, then. She could no longer contain that itching feeling burning at the back of her throat, rising to her quivering lips…

Elizabeth burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Jim Macken, shocked, looked upward, staring at her hysterical face.

"I-I'm so sorry, Jim Macken, but—you're so _funny."_

"F-funny?"

"Y-yes…" She giggled with the back of her hand over her mouth. "It's just…you're so adorable when your thankful."

Jim couldn't find any words, just stared at her. He didn't _feel _like he should be hurt. She'd said he was adorable. But, what did she mean by that?

"It's kind of just expected when a noble is kind to someone. No one is actually thankful for what you do for them. You just have to."

Jim's eyes widened as he gazed at her. Her eyes stared gratefully at him…they glimmered like emeralds as they washed over him. He almost felt…as if he was bathed in light at her gaze. Something about her made him feel safe and…warm.

"I guess I'm just not used to it, is all."

"Oh," he replied simply, not sure what else he could say.

"Is the food not to your liking?"

Startled, Jim looked up and then looked down at his full plate, still untouched. "N-no! It looks delicious!" And then he hurriedly scarfed down every last morsel. But not just simply to please her—he was so hungry, he thought he could finish off five or ten plates.

"Would you like more?" Elizabeth asked, eyeing his now empty plate.

Jim flushed, "I-if it's not too much t-trouble…"

Elizabeth giggled. "No, it's not. Have as much as you want. We don't know the last time you've eaten…"

Claude took his plate, refilled it, and Jim muttered his thanks as he devoured it, slowly, this time.

Elizabeth finished off her food and stood from the table as Maria began to clean up. Jim had finished his a few moments ago and said he wasn't still hungry. Elizabeth approached him in his seat, "Would you like to chat in the gardens? The roses are in full bloom this season."

Oh, no. Jim knew what this meant, and he knew it would come eventually. He didn't want to talk about it, or anything at all. He didn't know what he wanted to do. Still, looking at her, he could sense his trust slowly falling onto her. After all, she had already taken him in, mended his wounds, and fed him as much food as he could stuff into his mouth. In just the span of a night and morning, she had done for him all the things he had never received.

"O-okay." She could sense his uneasiness and smiled warmly at him, offering her small hand to him. His shaky one reached out, hesitantly, and took hold of hers. Jim noticed his hand was only slightly larger than hers. Her skin was tanner compared to his, but she could still be considered very pale. Her skin was soft…and warm. He almost savored the feeling of her skin on his.

And his cheeks began to burn once again, as she had made do once or twice before. Jim just didn't understand how a person could have such an effect on him.

His hand in hers, she led the boy to the front doors, which Claude opened for them. The sun was bright, and Jim shaded his eyes at first, but quickly adapted to the brightness. He then realized that Elizabeth was no longer pulling him along, though she still had hold of his hand. He pulled his hand from his face, and looked at her. She was looking downward, her lips frozen. He followed her gaze to the floor.

There was a maid there, furiously scrubbing at the ground with a pink sponge. Her hands looked tinted pink, also, and Jim looked toward the place she scrubbed just as the maid looked upward to Elizabeth.

"Oh, mistress, I'm sorry!" The maid seemed to lean over the spot she was cleaning, but Jim had seen it already. She was trying to get the blood stains from the floor. His blood.

"T-the stain hasn't come out yet, but it's getting there!"

Elizabeth shook her head, seeming to come out of her trance. She hurriedly looked to Jim, who stared blankly at her. She tried a weak smile. "Come on," she ushered.

Jim swallowed a large lump in his throat and forced his legs to move. He focused his eyes on the back of her head, her bouncing curls glowing in the sun. He had this strange feeling burning in the pit of his stomach…something he couldn't really explain. He couldn't even tell if he liked the feeling or not…it confused him.

Elizabeth guided him through the rows of flowers, and though he wanted to stop and gaze, he didn't state it. He shouldn't push his boundaries, though he didn't know where those lay.

Elizabeth led him to a stone bench and sat down of it. Jim quickly followed suit, the closeness making him uncomfortable. They sat for a long time, and Jim seemed to relax under the silence, but then she spoke, and he went rigid.

"Jim?"

"Y-yes?" he turned to look at her, though her eyes were elsewhere.

"I know you probably don't want to speak of it, but…" Jim's breath hitched. "We have to know who did this to you."

Jim didn't say anything.

"Would you like to tell me how you ended up on my doorstep?"

Jim looked at her, finally able to meet her eyes. He took a deep breath through the nose, and held his breath in as he stared at her. Her eyes…it was as if she saw right through his anatomy, right down to his very core. He found himself wanting to touch her soft skin again, but he swept the thought away as he began his tale.

"I used to live in a village with my little brother Luka. We were orphans there, and we lived in an abandoned shack right outside of the village. We were content just being on our own, until one morning we woke up to find that the village had burned down in the middle of the night. We were completely and utterly alone.

"Until we were taken away. We didn't know where, but a lot of children went with us so we thought we were being taken to an orphanage. Luka didn't want to go. He never said why, I guess it was just the idea of being locked up with no freedom had scared him. But…I thought we had no other option…

"We were taken to a large mansion where a lot of children already lived. We were kept underground, in the large cellars underneath the place. The children were so underfed they're bones stuck out from their skin and there were always these dark circles under their eyes. I had taken my little brother straight to hell…but it didn't end there.

"When the children reached a certain age, and they were deemed "ready" then they would be taken for examination and we would be auctioned off for a night to different men and women…mostly men. For a certain amount of money, these people could do whatever they pleased with us, as long as we didn't die. I was separated from Luka for a year until he was ten and he was taken in for examination and eventually began auctioning. I was fourteen. This continued on and on, every night a different person."

Elizabeth nodded, but she couldn't look at him anymore. When she looked at him, it was as if she could see the story played out for her.

"And…not only that but the men and women in charge would often have their way with us also. I was chosen as a favorite to the main man."

"That's awful," Elizabeth put in, her voice shaking.

Jim nodded. "There was something that happened after all that, though. When the children reach about fifteen or so, they're taken down to the farthest reaches of the basement. We hear many cries and screams from down there…And a couple of days after they are brought down there, not all of them come back. The few that are brought back aren't the same…it's like they were pushed to the bridge of insanity and forced to drop off the edge—"

"_What?"_

"I don't know what had been done to make them like that."

They both took long breaths.

"I didn't think we'd be taken down there so early…especially Luka. He didn't deserve any of this."

Elizabeth looked at him. He was staring at the ground, eyes wide, and tremors running over his skin. He spoke with a crazed look in his eye. "They had…rituals. Some sort of satanic rituals held down there. Candles lit, the air thick with blood. They had us chained to the wall, where they beat us to bloody pulps. Luka…he struck out with his foot and knocked down one of the candles—the curtains went up in flames and he slid from his shackles. He quickly freed me, and then as I tried to pull him towards the door, he was grabbed by one of the men.

"In a fit of anger, the man…h-h-he…

Elizabeth braced herself.

"He tossed Luka into the flames. His body was picked up so easily…like a rag doll…"

Elizabeth felt tears rush to her eyes.

"I—I just ran. They followed me, but I kept running, even though I could hardly feel my body, I was so numb… But I ran for a long time, a night and day, until I reached London."

"You didn't have trouble leaving the mansion?"

"No, of course I did. But most of the people there had been in the basement for the ritual, except for a few watching the children. They had hounds hunting my scent, and I knew the large city couldn't hide me forever, so I started going…south, I think. I thought I had some time before they got my path, but I was wrong. A number of them had their dogs and when I cut through the forest they found me. But I clawed and hit and punched—I did everything I possibly could to get away. My brother wouldn't die for nothing. I wouldn't let him. They beat me until I couldn't breathe, and didn't stop there. They intended to kill me there. No one would find my body for a long time in those woods, and they decided I wasn't worth hauling back to the mansion. They had only come after me because they thought I would tell people as soon as I had the chance of what went on in that mansion," Jim explained.

"And when I got away, I ran towards a very dim light…it was th-this mansion. I heard horses and a man shouting, and I knew there was a road somewhere, I just didn't know where. I just ran toward the light and all of a sudden there was this place. I came up and slammed as hard as I could on the door before…before…"

"It's okay, Jim. I understand."

They sat in silence for a long time, though it wasn't exactly comfortable. It was tense as the story circulated their heads and reigned heavily in the air. A looming cloud.

"E-Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

"C-can I look at t-the…"

Elizabeth looked at him, almost not believing he would ask permission to do something as simple as that.

She laughed. "Of course!"

"T-thank you." And then he hastily stood and began to wander around, gazing at the flowers that bloomed. He seemed completely infatuated with them, the most beauty he had ever seen all at once.

Elizabeth sighed. She had tried so hard to stay calm as he told her this. But this was all so familiar. She knew who had set all this up. Even though most of her childhood was erased, she knew this man…she knew the man responsible for this…

Memories were constantly leaving her and then returning suddenly. She had to find a way to gain full control of her mind, but she couldn't. Not without _all _of her soul with her. And she found it hard to muster enough hatred toward the man she was losing and regaining memory of.

Elizabeth lay down on the bench, her heart beat steadily increasing. She closed her eyes, trying to meditate for a moment. In a matter of seconds, she delved deep into the recesses of her mind, up to where her soul would let her, and explored the locked memories until her head was pounding. Still, she kept going.

And then the world disappeared. It was only memory.

* * *

_Elizabeth had never heard anything louder than a gun shot. She had heard it plenty of times before—out on picnics with her family, her brother and father would go and hunt, but they were always far from the site they sat at. These were…close. So close, in fact, that as the whizzed by her head, she felt her ears ring with the sound made in turn. _

_She stumbled through the underbrush, deeper into the cover of darkness she hoped would give her enough time to think. But she couldn't. Not with the constant shots of the rifle and the barking howls of the hunting dogs they had. Those dogs usually stayed in the basement…she didn't know they could be used for these purposes. She might have refrained from running if she had known she'd have so much less of a chance than she'd thought._

_The devil hounds put their noses to the midnight sky, taking in her scent and barking and snorting as they followed it. The humans followed close behind, firing into the night. _

_Elizabeth sobbed, her heart a throbbing mess, with the majority of her skin exposed to the dim-lit, cold night. Her lungs expelled air hurriedly in order to receive more, and, along with the blood pumping in her ears, she could hear water._

_A river. A coursing river with a strong current. It called to her, beckoned her._

_It could save her._

_The dogs couldn't attack her underwater, and those men were too good to dive in after her. It would be too dark to see her anyway._

_Elizabeth followed the sound of the water's sweet beckoning. It was close. So close, in fact, she could hear it clearly over the barks and howls of the hunting mutts. The waterfall, and then the water flowing south._

_But it didn't overcome the sound of the next gunshot._

_She had been so utterly consumed in reaching her safety that she hadn't even realized she had put herself in an open field. Three gunshots flooded her ears, overlapping the water and the quietness of the forest. _

_The first bullet zipped past her._

_The second landed in the grass, spewing dirt at her feet._

_The third hit the mark._

_Elizabeth felt the bullet drive into her soft, plump flesh, the flesh of her naked thigh. She felt her dress become soaked in her blood which quickly spat from the wound, the blood she had tried so hard to conserve. As hard as it was, she held in her wails, tears pouring from her eyes as the pain coursed through her quivering body. She listened over the sound of her blood pulsing in her ears._

_They were looking for her. They knew they had gotten her; they just weren't sure where she had fallen, for the grass was tall and hid her small body well. The dogs were hushed ,their noses now at the ground as they wandered in circles._

_Elizabeth shifted, dragging herself upward and reaching back to touch her bloody thigh. She froze. Teeth grinding as the dogs began to howl, her scent caught once more._

_She got to her, realizing quickly how close she had been to victory. The field ended and she limped into the forest once again, the water high in her ears. The men began shouting, causing her limp to become more hurried, even though the pain was near unbearable. They intended to kill, she knew, and as she approached the water, she saw a pier, and she knew this was her closest bet. She limped downstream towards it, and walked along the creaky wood. The water roared._

_The water was in front of her and she knew if she didn't leap, she would die. It was huge…the current strong and uninviting. Her family used to go downstream towards the lake and swim there, but if she leaped in here she would surely drown. The current was too strong, and her wound giving her much less of a chance. She felt as if she would die either way. They might shoot into the water until they saw her blood rise to the surface. The dogs would undoubtedly rip her to shreds if she stood there, if they didn't shoot her down first—_

_Elizabeth leapt._

_The summer air and made the water cool, and it washed her flesh and her wounds. Immediately, she began to sink, drifting sideways with the current. It'd been a long time since she felt at peace, even for just a moment._

_But it wasn't as if she didn't have a chance. She did and she knew it, but she feared it. But he was her last hope._

_And in that moment, Elizabeth forgot that she had been born in a holy family. She didn't even care. God had left them a long time ago and he made it clear that he wasn't going to return. But there, in that river, she abandoned all her hopes of there being an upper being that could beat away the dark. _

_Elizabeth was tired of waiting to be saved._

_"__I want to make a contract with you!" she cried out in her head. She was running out of air. It quickly became clear to her that she was dying…drowning…_

_"__I agree to all the terms, just please—!"_

_Elizabeth screamed, expelling all the air from her lungs and water filling her mouth and escaping down her throat. An unbearable pain had started in her neck. Her throat was on fire and her skin was aflame. She clawed at her skin, not even bothered by the prospect of oxygen. She could no longer bear the need of oxygen and only moments later, the searing pain in her lungs and throat was forgotten as she sunk farther and farther into the lonely depths, and her world became shrouded in black…_

* * *

Elizabeth opened her eyes, gasping for air as her hand flew it her chest, over her lungs which were filled with water. She breathed in hard, as if she'd never taken a breath in her life. She searched with her eyes, never moving from her bed.

She had a moment of panic—she didn't know where she was for a brief few seconds, and then everything flooded back to her.

That morning, meeting Jim. The garden and the memory searching. Which, hadn't ended very well. She couldn't get much from it. Playing a few games with her guest, and having tea with him. Eating dinner with him, and then parting ways to their bedrooms.

She wasn't at all sure why she had dreamt of that moment in her past. She remembered it clearly, and all the events after that. It was in her early past, before that, that she had trouble remembering often. And after all this time, they had thought it was trauma from those events that had caused her to forget about it, when it was really her soul that had been taken from her.

Elizabeth lay there for a long time, pondering. Could it be that those people taking her soul was in a locked memory? That had to be it. That was the reason she couldn't remember.

A sudden crack of thunder rolled in the sky, coinciding with the heavy rain she hadn't noticed earlier. She found the rain calming, and it helped her think a bit.

But she had to remember, somehow… If she didn't, she'd never get her soul back. _Please…I need to remember. Remember. Remember! Rem—_

Elizabeth shot upward. She could hear the familiar creaking of the door as it eased open. She felt her heart begin to thrum unsteadily. "Who's there?!" She whispered harshly.

She waited. The door stopped moving and she watched intently as small fingers curled around the door and pushed it open farther…and then a head peered from behind it. She saw familiar white-blonde hair, and rainwater eyes that glinted in the dark…

"Jim?"

He slipped through the door and dropped to the ground. The door shut behind him. "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to—! I j-just…" With a start, she realized there were tears in his eyes.

Elizabeth said softly, "What's wrong, Jim?"

"It's j-just…" With a startled look, he looked to the rain pounding on her window and sniffled. Thunder cackled and he sniffled.

Elizabeth felt horrible for some reason. _As if he'd want to be alone after all he'd been through. How could I have been so stupid?_ Still, she felt hesitation. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her. He was too…innocent. Was that the word?

He was…raped and beaten senseless. Not to mention he had been forced to leave his brother, dead, most likely. She should have thought about all this before. She felt like such an imbecile!

Elizabeth crawled to the edge of her bed, her hand held out for the third time that day. "Would you like to sleep i-in here?"

Jim's eyes widened, as if shocked she would ask. Of course, Elizabeth hadn't expected herself to either. Still after a moment, he nodded numbly and approached the bed. He climbed into it and laid down next her, his legs curled up to his chest. He kept his head down.

Elizabeth pulled the blankets over them and settled next to him. "I'm…sorry. I didn't think about the fact that you'd be alone in your bedroom."

He looked startled at the fact that she knew that being alone scared him. Still, he nodded gently, "I-It's okay."

There was a long moment of silence. The rain smacking curses against the window pane. They avoided eye contact, the rain being the only communication they needed. They didn't shut they're eyes to sleep until Jim spoke again.

"C-Can you s-sing?"

Elizabeth looked at him. "Sing?"

"Y-yes. Luka liked to s-sing a lot. To the really young ones. B-But everyone liked it," Jim muttered. Elizabeth had looked at him, but he kept his eyes lowered.

Elizabeth fumbled. "What…what would you like me to sing for you?"

"Anything's okay. I just…"

Elizabeth smiled as he raised his eyes. "Okay, I'll sing for you, Jim."

There was a long moment of unwinding silence. Elizabeth took in shaky breaths. She'd never really sung for anyone but her mother before. Sometimes her mother would ask her to sing for her in the asylum…but never anyone other than her. She'd hum…but she felt her heart try to break free of her ribcage at the thought of singing for this boy, she'd only just met today but was in bed with. Oh, the things her brother would say…

Pushing back her fear, she began to sing a tune her mother had taught her:

_This is the moment,_

_I have been waiting for._

_Obscured,_

_Distorded,_

_And left to explore._

_In a world of tragedy,_

_In search for release,_

_So I may leave._

The song fell from her lips in gentle waves, and she felt her voice picking up gently, as she realized Jim had closed his eyes, basking in the lullaby. She continued to sing, enjoying the soft look on his face.

_My whole life,_

_I've been prying inside._

_But all this time,_

_The answers appeared in,_

_My whole life._

_Inhaling frame after frame,_

_All this time,_

_I've been waiting._

_To find a way to reach inside,_

_To wield the hands,_

_Unfolding time._

_The higher I am,_

_The better view I find._

_As I lay down,_

_Observe it all,_

_Unwind._

_No doubt or fear,_

_My view is now clear._

Elizabeth finished it off with a gentle hum. She looked down at Jim's face and noticed he hadn't moved. She could hear his steady breathing, the gentle tune of sleep.

She fell asleep too, her lullaby the sound of the rain and the distant hum of her mother as she sang her the familiar lullaby…

_In a world of tragedy…_

_In search of release._

* * *

_**Hello. C:**_

_**I hope it hasn't been too long.**_

_**Please don't hate me for making Alois all cute and innocent and using his real name! I really hope you like him, because I enjoyed writing him this way.**_

_**And please don't comment all like: "WHAT THE HELL, ELIZABETH IS SUPPOSED TO LOVE CLAUDE, NOT ALOIS!"**_

_**Please, just hold on. I'm getting there, honestly.**_

_**Please tell me what you think of this. I hope you like it, I really do.**_


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